St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-06-05

barrels. public attention has been
aroused and largely increased interest
manifested in the cOoperS on the part of
many who know nothing of the business.
The cOOperlng business in MINNEAPOLIS
is of greater magnitude than most peo-
pie have any idea of, giving employ
ment as it does to over 500 full-fiedged
cOOperS, besides large number of boys
and clerks. The rapid growth of the
milling industry in Minneapolis has
helped the business. and where ten
years ago there was one cooper there
are now fifty. There has been little
change in the number of shops or men
the last two years, and the number of bar
relS turned out was 100000 each year.
The present year it is estimated that
100000 barrels will be needed. At this
time there are 10 cooper shops in the
city, employing men as follows: Hall 81
Damn, l20; Sixth street Cooperative. IS;
Northwestern, IS; North Star. 50; Hen
nepin, 81: Acme. ~: Empire, SO: Phoe-
nix. 80: Minnesota, % and Kennedy, IS:
total, 500. These shops will make the
100000 barrels necessary, each making
as many as another, in proportion to its
size and the number of men employed.
The present agreement between the
millerS and the co0pers, whereby the
barrels and, 3S1s cents for oak barrels,
is looked upon as the finest one ever
made, as it gives to each shop an exact
share of work. The former agreement.
made some time ago, placed the price of
barrels at 35 and So cents, but the
coOperS found that barrels could
not be made for that, as soon
after the agreement was made
the price of stock went up 2 cents, which
left all the coOpers making barrels at a
loss. About this time the mills Stacked
up and the price of barrels went down
cents, thus making difference of 4
cents on each barrel to the coopers. AS
it is now there are few too many men
to do the work necessary to make the
required number barrels, but the gen
eral opinion is that as soon as the shops
get working together there will be
plenty of work for all and every shop
will run on full time
STORY OF THE BARREL.
The work of making barrels is de-
cidedly interesting, and visit to any of
the shops will well repay. any one who
possesses. an eye for the poetry
of motion and an ear for the
steady hum of rapidly revolving ma
chinery. Imagine yourself in long
building, the air redolent of the smell of
wOrkmen playing rapid tattoo. At one
end of the building boys are engaged in
bringing in huge bundles of slaves, in
assorted sizes. which have been pre-
pared ready for the cOOpers. AT this
end of the shop are the ''formS." where
the first work on the barrel is done. The
form is a large flat iron stand, having in
it a curved slot the size of barrel head.
A few inches above this slot are iron
arms, which hold an iron hoop. In this
slot. inside the iron hoop, the lower
ends of the slaves are placed, and when
all the slaves have been placed in posi-
ton the iron hoop is brought up around
them i'll such a manner as to
bring the edges tightly together.
Next large wooden hoop is placed
around the hoops, and gradually pushed
toward the spread end of the slaves
until they are drawn together in the
center, leaving the top ends. still far
apart. The former now removes the
barrel from the form, still further tight
ems the wooden hoop by turning the
barrel over and dropping it on the floor
so that it will strike upon the ends of
the slaves that are still far apart. Then
he slides it over to man running a
machine which keeps twisting large
wire rope i'll the shape of an o. This
man takes the barrel, and as the loop in
the rope begins to tighten places it over
the end of the slaves which are still
spread. As they close tightly together,
under the tremendous pressure of the
rope. he quickly slips heavy iron
hoop on the barrel and throws off the
rope, which begins to form another
loop for the next barrel. When the
cope slips off from one barrel and the
iron hoop is in place it leaves it in shape,
but with no regular hoops on, and with